Low Carbon Communities Challenge

This was a two-year research programme that provided funding and advice to communities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to help cut their carbon emissions.

The Challenge was launched in autumn 2009, for communities taking action, or facing change, as a result of climate change.

Winners

Four communities in Wales were selected as winners in the Low Carbon Communities Challenge.

They are:

Lammas Low Impact Initiative

The Lammas project will become a blueprint for sustainable living by building an eco-village in 76 acres of mixed pasture and woodland near the village of Glandwr in North Pembrokeshire. A ‘community hub’ building will act as a centre for the research, education and promotion of low-impact development and sustainability. The building will also form a centrepiece to a new-build project of 9 eco-smallholdings in the Preseli Hills. Lammas also pioneer alternative farming and land-use technologies, and carbon-positive food, fuel and craft production. For more information on the eco-village and to watch videos on their progress, please visit their website.

Awel Aman Tawe: Egni (Energy) Project

Their project involves the development of a 4MW (Megawatt) community wind farm on Mynydd y Gwrhyd in the Upper Amman and Swansea Valley to establish low carbon communities through a programme of behaviour change in 12 villages throughout the area. This project also incorporates:

zero carbon community regeneration;

ongoing measurement of carbon reduction impacts; and

longer term interventions to encourage community action on sustainable transport, local food, household energy and micro generation funded by profit from the wind farm.

Cwmclydach

In Cwmclydach, they are developing a project to purchase and install two micro hydro turbines. The purchase and installation of the turbines will generate an income to support the development of a ‘low carbon zone’ approach, with a range of community events and activities taking place involving local organisations, businesses, schools and colleges.

Cwm Arian

The Cwm Arian project is in the rural North East of Pembrokeshire and is near to the community of Lammas. This project will purchase and install two 1.2MW wind turbines to be owned by the community. They will generate income for further energy saving measures. The turbines would have a useful life of approximately 15 years. The plan is to introduce new domestic renewables and other current technologies to reach a Zero Carbon Community within a 15 year deadline.

Other low carbon communities

More information about the different ways communities have explored reducing their carbon footprint can be found on the Living in the Future website.